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Article filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 20, 2008

Republicans Have Handed Democrats a Winning Election Issue

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/republicans-have-handed-democrats-winning-election-issue/

The Republicans keep handing the Democrats a winning election issue. And the Democrats keeping refusing to accept the gift. I hope the beginning of the formal election campaign knocks some sense into them.

Thegift is the Republicans’ continued opposition to extending renewable energy incentives. Eight times since the fall of 2007, a Republican-threatened filibuster has thwarted a vote on extending these incentives. They will expire at the end of this year — and with that expiration, many believe the solar and wind industries will come to a grinding halt.

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Article filed under Energy, The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 7, 2008

Electric Cars Are the Key to Energy Independence

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/electric-cars-are-key-energy-independence-2/

Al Gore’s heroic speech challenging us to make our electrical system 100 percent renewable promised it would simultaneously address three major crises: the weak economy, catastrophic climate change and the dire national security problems inherent in our dependence on imported oil.

He got two out of three right. A crash renewable electricity initiative would provide an immediate boost to our economy and could slow climate change, since electricity accounts for about a third of our overall greenhouse gas emissions.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Aug 6, 2008

Electric Cars Are the Key to Energy Independence

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/electric-cars-are-key-energy-independence/

ILSR vice president, David Morris, responds to Al Gore’s recent speech proposing a 10 year effort to move the United States to a 100% renewable energy electric system to address three major crises: the weak economy, catastrophic climate change and the dire national security problems inherent in our dependence on imported oil. Morris says that Gore got got two out of three right. Continue reading

Article, ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 19, 2008

New Powerline Study Finds that Local Wind Energy Generation Can Avoid the Need for New Lines

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/new-powerline-study-finds-local-wind-energy-generation-can-avoid-need-new-lines/

A study released this week in Minnesota shows there is an abundant opportunity for new community-based energy development (C-BED) throughout Minnesota.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 4, 2008

Report: Concentrating Solar and Decentralized Power: Government Incentives Hinder Local Ownership

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/report-concentrating-solar-and-decentralized-power-government-incentives-hinder-local-ownership/

Can residential rooftop solar compete with new utility-scale concentrating solar electric plants? Only if federal and state incentives are amended to level the playing field. This May 2008 report explores the economics of solar PV and concentrating solar and shows how local ownership is hindered unless government solar incentives change.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on May 12, 2008

Cellulosic Biofuels: Another Opportunity for Washington to Marry Agriculture and Energy Goals

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/cellulosic-biofuels-another-opportunity-washington-marry-agriculture-and-energy-goals/

Today, cellulosic ethanol can no longer be ignored. Even as the quantity of ethanol from corn increases, the age of corn ethanol is drawing to a close. Few new corn-to-ethanol plants will be built beyond those currently in the ?nancing and construction pipeline. The opportunity to build on the farmer-owned corn-to-ethanol biore?nery model is over. But the opportunity for local ownership is just beginning for cellulosic biofuels.  This piece by David Morris was originally published in Ethanol Today magazine. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2008

An energy incentive is drifting in the wind

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/an-energy-incentive-is-drifting-in-the-wind/

An energy incentive is drifting in the wind Federal tax law discourages individual investment and local ownership of turbines. By John Farrell, originally published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 1, 2008 A wind turbine can power up to 600 homes, but 600 homeowners can’t get together to own a wind turbine. Why? Because federal… Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 1, 2008

Federal Energy Incentives Are Drifting in the Wind

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/federal-energy-incentives-are-drifting-wind/

A wind turbine can power up to 600 homes, but 600 homeowners can’t get together to own a wind turbine. Why? Because federal law makes local ownership virtually impossible. The federal wind-energy incentives — up for renewal this year — discriminate against local ownership and favor absentee ownership. They also severely restrict the number of investors who can finance wind-energy generators.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 28, 2008

Distributed Energy First, Wait On New Transmission Lines

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/distributed-energy-first-wait-new-transmission-lines/

A debate between advocates of distributed and centralized renewable energy systems is just beginning. It is overdue. Consideration of scale in renewable energy systems has been delayed in part because we first had to bring solar energy in all its forms to market, and in part because the distributed nature of renewable energy resources seemed inexorably to lead to their being harnessed in distributed fashion.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 10, 2008

Report: Federal Barriers Are Limiting Renewable Energy Ownership Opportunities

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/report-federal-barriers-are-limiting-renewable-energy-ownership-opportunities/

A typical 2 megawatt wind turbine provides enough electricity for around 600 average American homes. So why is it nearly impossible for those same 600 households to pool their resources and own a wind turbine?

A new policy brief by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) shows how removing two barriers to owning and investing in renewable energy projects can pave the way for true energy independence.

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